Portable batching apparatus



R. c. RONYAK 2,988,235

PORTABLE BATCHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 13, 1961 Filed Dec. 4, 19 7 1 X If INVENTOR. fimqer (I A o/wax BY TTOR/Vf Y June 1-3, 1961 R. c. RONYAK PORTABLE BATCHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1957 INVENTOR.

| l I lll rlllll United States Patent '0 2,988,235 PORTABLE BATCHING APPARATUS Robert C. Ronyalr, Stockton, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Koehring Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Dec. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 700,582 3 Claims. (Ci. 2142) This invention relates generally to portable batching apparatus for batching cement and also aggregate materials such as sand and gravel for use in making concrete.

A general object of the present invention is to provide improved portable batching apparatus characterized by capacity, efiiciency and uniformity of product commensurate with permanently based batching plants while being of suficiently light weight and having sufiiciently low clearance to be readily transportable over the highways in conformance with highway load restrictions and regulations governing transporting such equipment.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of improved portable batching apparatus having self-contained weighing means which need not be removed when the apparatus is in transit. A related object of the present invention is to provide improved mobile batching apparatus which can rapidly be placed into operation quickly, with a minimum of labor and without the use of cranes or other extra lifting equipment.

An even further object of tthe present invention is to provide improved portable batching apparatus characterized by increased overhead storage capacity within legal size requirements for traveling vehicles.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of mobile batching apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation partially in section of the central portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view partially in section of the apparatus of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section taken along line IV-IV in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section taken along line V-V in FIGURE 4 with one of the motor drive assemblies omitted for clarity.

In the drawing, the preferred embodiment of batching apparatus of the type described is illustrated together with an auxiliary loading elevator 11 and an auxiliary discharge conveyor 13.

The illustrated batching apparatus comprises the wheeled structure 12 having aggregate storage bins 22 and a cement storage bin 23, together with weighing and discharge mechanisms for batching such materials. To provide a mobile, unitary assembly, the batching structure 12 has a supporting frame formed by a pair of transversely spaced box shaped channels 18, 19 extending longitudinally of the lower portion of the structure. Suitable road wheels 150 carry the rear or right hand end of the batching unit (as seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawings). The forward or left hand end of the unit is provided with a suitable supporting hitch connection 152 for attachment to a truck-tractor.

With this construction the batching unit may be readily transported from place to place over roads and highways. At the place of use, the truck-tractor is unhitched and suitable supports such as pivoted legs 147 are placed into position to support the unit during use.

In carrying out the present invention, the batching "too apparatus is constructed for a maximum bin and production capacity within the legal limitations on size for roadability and such that upon arrival to the place of use the apparatus is set up for operation with a minimum of labor and preparation. To this end the apparatus is so arranged that all operative parts of the unit remain in place during transport and hence need not be disassembled and reassembled before and after transport.

In the disclosed construction, maximum bin capacity is provided by a horizontal bin arrangement as contrasted to the conventional vertical arrangement of stationary batching plants. As illustrated, an elongated horizontal bin 23 for storing cement is provided at the rear portion of the apparatus. In detail, the cement bin 23 is formed by a housing having a vertical rear wall 25 in spaced opposed relationship to a forward partition 24, a pair of spaced opposed low elongated sides having substantially vertical upper portions 26, 27 and inwardly converging lower portions 34, 35 respectively. Completing the housing is a top portion 28 having a charging or feed opening 20 in the rear section, and a bottom portion 29, in which a plurality of closable outlet means 30, 31 are defined. The converging nature of side portions 34, 35 facilitates directing the cement into outlet means 30, 31.

Operatively associated with outlet means 30, 31 are a pair of suitable regulator gates 300, 310 respectively responsive to the actuation of suitable air rams 30E, 311. Air rams 301, 311 are supplied by a compressed air system 119 and may be controlled either manually, or, preferably, automatically by incorporating a suitable control system with the weighing system to be described.

Elevator portion 11 is provided for elevating bulk material to the bin 23 of this batching portion 12. Elevator 11 may be of conventional construction, comprising generally a housing 14 having feed and discharge openings 15, 16 respectively defined therein. An endless conveyor mechanism (not shown) is operatively mounted within housing 14 upon a pair of rotatable shafts (not shown) for transporting material from the feed opening in an upward or elevated direction for discharge out of the discharge opening. The conveyor mechanism may be actuated by any suitable means such as an electric motor (not shown) drivingly connected to at least one of the rotatable shafts.

When the apparatus is made ready for operation, elevator portion 11 is moved sufficiently close to the batching apparatus 12 so that the elevator discharge opening 16 overhangs and is in substantial registry with the feed opening 20 in the top of the cement bin 23.

Mounted on the forward end of the frame of the batching unit is a horizontal arrangement of aggregate bins or hoppers 22 having substantially the same overall height and Width as the cement bin 23. The aggregate bin arrangement of the illustrated construction has four aggregate compartments 105, 106, 107 108 formed of suitable metal plate. Each of the compartments are provided with sufiicient volume when filled to provide an ample reserve of the ingredient stored therein.

In the preferred embodiment, the compartments are disposed into two substantially equal longitudinal batteries which are mounted one on each side of and generally contiguous with the longitudinal center line of the vehicle. Each compartment for example, compartment 107, is defined by a pair of opposed substantially vertical side members 109, 110 having inwardly converging plate portions 111, 112 at their respective bottoms. Transversely of side members 109, 110, and interposed therebetween are a pair of spaced partitions 113, 114 obliquely disposed relative to vertical in such a manner as to cooperate with the converging plate portions 111, 112 of the respective side members 109, 110 to define a frustopyramidal bottom section 115 for the compartment. Bottom section 115 thus provides a gravity feed of the contents through a discharge opening 116 defined centrally in the bottom thereof. Each discharge opening, for example opening 116, is provided with a regulator gate 117 actuable by an air ram 118. Similarly, discharge openings 121, 122 and 123 of compartments 105, 106 and 108, respectively, are respectively provided with air ram gate assemblies 124, 125 and 126 which are also supplied by compressed air system 119.

Each of the compartments, for example compartment 107, is provided with an open top 127 to facilitate loading with any suitable machine such as, for example, a scoop loader, a portable conveyor, a crane with a clamshell bucket, or the like.

To further minimize overall height of the batching unit, the cement bin 23 is provided with horizontal conveyors so that all portions of the bin may be fully utilized to obtain the greatest storage capacity for the overall dimensions of the apparatus. For this purpose a dis tributing screw conveyor 32' is mounted within bin 23 adjacent the top thereof.

More specifically, screw conveyor 32 is mounted intermediate side portions 26, 27 and is journalled in suitable sealed bearings 36, 37 which are suspended by suitable bearing brackets 38' so that it extends into cooperative relationship with feed opening 20. Thus, when the cement is fed by the elevator 11 through feed opening 20 into bin structure 23, the pile of material formed is engaged by the screw flights 39 and spread longitudinally of the 'bin toward partition 24. The action of screw conveyor 32 in creating and maintaining a substantially level reserve of the cement throughout the bin structure causes cement to be distributed into and maintained in the regions most remote from feed opening 20, giving full use of the cement bin 23.

The discharge arrangement for the cement bin 23 and aggregate bins 105, 106, 107, 108, also contributes to the compactness of the batching apparatus. To accomplish this, a second screw conveyor 53 is provided for discharging cement from the cement bin 23.

Discharge screw conveyor 33 is rotatably mounted adjacent the bottom of bin 23 generally midway between side portions 34, 35 in position to direct cement over each of the discharge outlets 30, 3'1. It is journaled through end wall 25 and partition 24 in suitably sealed bearings 42, 43 supported by suitable bearing brackets 44.

To deliver cement to the outlets 30, 31 from all portions of the bin 23 screw conveyor 33 differs from screw conveyor 32 in that, instead of a single uniform thread, or screw flight, it is provided with a plurality of opposed thread flights.

In a preferred embodiment, each adjacent flight is of opposite hand. For example, as shown in Figure 2, one embodiment of screw conveyor 33 comprises four flights 45, 46, 47, 48 so disposed that only every other flight has a right hand thread and the intermediate flight has a left hand thread. Thus upon clockwise rotation of the screw 33, flights 45, 47 will force the cement in a rightwardly direction (relative to Fig. 2) while flights 46, 48 will force the material in a leftwardly direction so that flights 45, 46 will deliver cement toward outlet 30 thereinto for discharge while flights 47, 48 will move cement toward outlet 31 for discharge.

Screw conveyors 32, 33 may be driven by any power source suitably linked thereto such, for example, as the motor 49 linked by a belt 52 to the screw conveyor 32 as shown in phantom in connection with screw conveyor 32 in Figure 3. A similar drive arrangement is provided screw conveyor 33 and is designated by reference numeral 55 in Figure 2.

To provide a common point of discharge for the cement and aggregates from all of the storage bins, with an absolute minimum of space requirements, additional horizontal conveyors are provided. For this purpose motorized belt assemblies are mounted beneath the bin arrangement and constructed to deliver the cement and aggregates to a discharge point located generally centrally of the batching unit.

To deliver cement forwardly from the outlets 30, 31 in the bottom of bin 23 to the common discharge point, a motorized conveyor assembly 56 is positioned generally longitudinally of bin structure 23 and in spaced registry with outlets 30, 31 so that the material discharged from outlets 30, 31 falls upon and is received by batch belt 83. To minimize dusting and loss of cement, the conveyor assembly 56 includes an enclosing cover 81 defined by a canvas shroud 810, a pair of lateral side or skirt boards 8'11, 812 and a pair of end boards 813, 814, a standard conveyor frame 82 and a movable endless batch belt 83. Batch belt 83 thus provides the bottom surface of a compartment defined by the hopper structure and the cover 81.

Batch belt 83 is suitably mounted on conveyor frame 82 for movement relative thereto over a pair of spaced shaft-borne main rollers 86, 87 which are rotatably mounted at opposite ends of frame 82 and extend transversely thereof. It is drivable in response to the energization of a suitable motor which is also mounted on the frame 82 and is drivingly connected to one of the main rollers, e.g. roller 87. Supplementary rollers 89, 90 may also be disposed adjacent the opposed runs of batch belt 83 to guide the lower run while the belt follows its path of movement about rollers 86, 87.

For delivering sand and gravel from the aggregate bins 105, 106, 107, 108, rearwardly to the common discharge point, a pair of horizontal, side-by-side conveyor assemblies are provided. Each of the conveyor assemblies receives and delivers aggregate from two of the aggregate bins.

With respect to the conveyor assembly for aggregate bins 107, 108 which will hereinafter be referred to as the first battery 129, an endless conveyor belt is mounted on the batching unit frame in the same general manner as described relative to conveyor assembly 56 and belt 83. Belt 130 is similarly mounted about main rollers 131, 132 and may be supported and guided in its path of movement by supplementary rollers 133. At least one of the main rollers, for example roller 132, is operatively connected to a suitable motor 135, as with a V-belt 136.

Conveyor belt 130 is actuatable to move the aggregate deposited thereupon from battery 129 axially toward the middle of the vehicle 21. There it too is discharged from the belt into the feed opening 93 of discharge conveyor 13.

A second endless belt 137 is similarly mounted upon suitable rollers 138 of a conveyor frame 820 which is mounted beneath compartments 105, 106 to comprise a second battery 139. Belt 137 is likewise driven by a similar suitable driving means generally identified in FIG. 5 by the reference a. Belt 137 receives the material from battery 139 and moves it for discharge into feed opening 93 in substantially the same manner as belt 130 functions relative to battery 129. Both of the belts are provided with suitable side boards 141 and end boards 142 to prevent lateral spillage of the material conveyed thereby.

In the further practice of the present invention, the requirement for a separate space consuming weighing or proportioning apparatus has been overcome. Means are provided by which the weighing of the cement and aggregate is carried out in a minimum of overhead space. In fact, as apparent from the drawings the entire weighing operation takes place within only the vertical space required by the transporting wheels for the batching apparatus.

To accomplish this the conveyor assemblies used to deliver the cement and aggregates to the common discharge point are so constructed as to weigh and proportion the components for the concrete. For example, the motorized conveyor belt assembly 56 is suspended from a scale system 57 to make the conveyor assembly the/weighing means for the cement.

With reference to the drawings, the scale system 57 includes a pair of spaced rocker arms 61, 62 disposed beneath bin structure 23 adjacent converging side portions 34, 35, respectively. Each rockerarm, for example arm 61, consists of a longitudinally extending shank portion 63 having an inwardly extending lever portion 64 integrally formed therewith. Similarly disposed at the other end of shank portion 63 and extending inwardly in generally normal relationship therefrom is a short lever or stub member which, though not visible in the drawing, is well known. Rocker arm 62 similarly comprises shank portion 65, inwardly extending lever portion 66 and an inwardly extending stub member.

Rocker arms 61, 62 are pivotally mounted to bin structure 23 at their respective ends by four depending brackets 67, 68, 69 and one which is not visible (but associated with the left end-relative to FIGURE 2 of rocker arm 62). Brackets 67, 68 are integrally formed with and depend downwardly from the underside of bottom portion 29 while brackets 69 and the one not visible are integrally formed with and depend downwardly from I-beam 71 which in turn is integrally formed with bin structure 23.

Motorized conveyor belt assembly 56 is suspended at its four corners from scale system 57 by four hangers 73, 74, 75 and one not visible. Hangers 73 and 74 respectively depend from lever portions 64, 66 .and engage those portions in knife-edge engagement just inside of the pivotal junctions 77, 78 of rocker arms 61, 62 respectively with depending brackets 67, 68. Similarly, hangers 75 and the one not visible depend from stub members and engage those portions in knife-edge engagement just inside of the pivotal junction of rocker arms 61, 62 with depending brackets 69 and the one not seen. The other ends of the respective hangers are attached to motorized conveyor belt assembly 56 thereby providing complete suspension therefor.

,The material discharged from bin 23 onto batch belt 83 of suspended conveyor belt assembly 56 creates a force moment in lever portions 64, 66 about the pivotal connection or junctions 77, 78 of their respective rocker arms 61, 62 with depending brackets 67, 68. A conventional arrangement of collecting weigh levers (not shown) operatively connects the lever portions 64, 66 with a beam scale box 840 or other suitable weight indicating device located at control panel 84. In this man ner, the exact weight of the material deposited on conveyor belt assembly 56 is measured and control of the quantity of material deposited on the belts may be efiected.

When belt 83 has been loaded with the desired quantity of material, the belt 83 is actuated by the energization of motor 85. Thereupon the material is carried to and discharged through a spout 92 provided adjacent the end of the upper run of belt 83 into feed opening 93 of the discharge conveyor 13 disposed therebeneath.

The discharge conveyor assemblies under the aggregate bins 105, 106, 107, 108, are suspended from scale system 143, 144 which may be substantially like scale system 57 previously described for the cement conveyor assembly 56.

Scale systems 143, 144 further are mounted beneath batteries 129, 139, respectively, each scale system serving to weigh aggregates from one of the batteries 129, 139. Conventional systems of weigh levers are used to translate rocker arm lever portion movement in scale systems 143, 144, respectively, into readily observable weight readings of the material suspended therefrom on suitable indicators in control panels 145, 146, mounted in beam box 840. Beam box 840 may be provided with a suitable cover 151 which will be opened during operation but closed to prevent harm to the weighing mechanism during transit of the apparatus and when otherwise not in operation.

a The discharge of the several compartments onto their respective belts may be effected sequentially or concurrently with each other, any of the well known control systems for regulating the gate air ram assemblies being suitable for application with the present apparatus. Simi- :larly the actuation of the conveyor belts, in addition to the closing of the regulator gates, may be effected by a suitable control circuit actu-atable in response to a given reading on the scale device or it may be manually controllable.

The separate discharge conveyor 13, as shown in FIG- URE 1, may be used in conjunction with the batching unit for delivering bacthed and proportioned cement and aggregates to a transit mix truck or other mixer. The dischargeconveyor 13 of the illustrated form comprises an elongated enclosed conveyor trough 155 having the aforedescribed feed opening 93 under the common discharge point of the batching apparatus and a discharge spout 157 at the other end. A pivotal frame structure 158 is attached to conveyor trough 155 adjacent discharge spout 157 for supporting the conveyor in an elevated position. Suitable means for introducing the proper amount of water into the waiting mixer may be provided at spout 157 or at another station as is desired.

When circumstances warrant, it may be desirable to dig a slight pit 99 with a hand shovel or other means heneath the discharge ends of the conveyor belts 83, r130, 137 to facilitate positioning of the feed end 93 of the discharge conveyor portion 13 relative thereto.

Exemplary of the operation of the portable batching apparatus 21 herein described is the following description of a complete cycle of operation. The aggregate compartments -108 are filled with suitably graded sand and gravel as by an end loader or power shovel. Cement is loaded in bin 23, as by elevator 11 and is evenly spread throughout the bin by overhead screw conveyor 32.

The cement regulator gates 300, 310 and two of the aggregate gates 117, 122, one in each of the compartment batteries, are opened until the desired weight of each material has been reached by the gravity flow of material through the gates. The gates are then closed. When gate 117 is closed, the other gate in that battery may be opened, for batching an additional material and then closed when the desired weight of that material has been deposited on the belt. Similarly, when gate 122 is closed, the other gate 124 in that battery may be opened and left open until the desired amount of another material has been deposited on the belt for that battery.

When the desired weights of cement and aggregates have been reached and all of the gates are colsed, the motorized belt conveyors 83, 130, 137, are star-ted to discharge the batch into feed opening 93 of the discharge conveyor 13 which then conveys the batch to a suitable mixer or mix hauling unit. The portable batching apparatus is then ready to commence another cycle.

It is understood that even though certain specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, there is no intention to limit the invention to such embodiments. Rather, the appended claims are intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A portable batching apparatus comprising in combination, an elongated wheeled trailer frame, having a low, elongated, oompartmented hopper structure thereon for receiving and storing various concrete aggregates and cement in individual ones of said compartments; a plurality of horizontal, elongated conveyor systems integrally suspended under said frame for conveying a previously weighed batch of respective ones of said aggregates and cement from the individual compartments to a common discharge point located in the central portion of said trailer, said conveyor system having side closures for containing the aggregate and cement on said conveyor system;

controlled outlets in the bot-tom of each of said compartments for discharging a batch of the contents thereof by gravity flow on to respective ones of said conveyor systems; and scale means entirely supporting each of said conveyor systems for simultaneously Weighing the individual batches of the various aggregates and cement contained on each of said conveyor systems prior to conveying said batches of aggregates and cement to said discharge point.

2. A portable concrete batching apparatus comprising in combination, a semi-trailer frame having road wheels supporting its rear end portion; aggregate bins arranged on said frame in two side-by-side batteries, each battery having fore and aft alined bins; a cement bin on said frame aft of said aggregate bins and extending from side to side of said frame; each of said batteries of aggregate bins having a conveyor extending lengthwise of said frame under its respective battery; said cement bin having a conveyor extending lengthwise of said frame under said cement bin; each of said conveyors being integrally suspended below said frame and substantially within the vertical space provided by said road wheels between said frame and the road whereby substantially the entire volume of said frame above said road wheels may be used for storage of aggregate and cement; means in the bottom of each of said bins for controllably discharging by gravity flow a batch of the contents of said bin upon the respec tive conveyor thereunder; and independent scale means for each of said conveyors entirely supporting said conveyors for weighing individual batches of cement and aggregates discharged thereon from said bins, said conveyors being positioned for delivering weighed aggregate and cement batches at a discharge point common to all conveyors.

3. A portable concrete apparatus comprising in combination, a wheeled vehicle, a low, horizontally disposed bi-n structure on said vehicle having a plurality of aggregate containing compartments, each of said compartments having a generally inverted frusto-conical bottom portion and defining a bottom outlet means for gravity discharge of the' contents of said compartment, said compartments and outlet means being arranged in two adjacent side-byside batteries with the compartments and outlet means of each battery alined longitudinally of said vehicle; a low elongated enclosed cement bin structure on said vehicle adjacent to one end of said aggregate bin structure and I and cement and delivering the same to a discharge point centrally of said vehicle; weighing means entirely supporting each of said endless belt conveyors for weighing the individual batches of aggregates and cement received by each of said endless belt conveyors; controllable discharges for said outlet means for delivering specified batches of aggregates and cement. to said endless belt conveyors; and drive means for said endless belt conveyors for causing the latter to deliver said specified batches of materials to said discharge point after all said batches have been weighed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,915,757 Pierce June 27, 1933 2,285,765 Carswell June 9, 1942 2,687,285 Fisher Aug. 24, 1954 2,867,336 Soldini Jan. 6, 1959 2,873,036 Noble Feb. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 698,091 Great Britain Oct. 7, 1953 922,637

Germany Jan. 20, 1955 

